Of all the people who stood before me on the Howe's bridge, all of them were paying their closest attention to the screen and maps before us, and what I had to say. All for the better.

The weather outside, and the corresponding temperature, had dropped over the course of the trip, meaning some of us had donned sweaters. The overcast, cloudy sky was more conducive to focused discussion and was more fitting for what I was about to say.

"That is the Sakura force that was spotted a few days ago heading for Håkøya Island," I said indicating what was being displayed on the screen. "In case any of you need a refresher, that's also where we're going."

Maxwell nodded from the screen of the laptop perched on the side, perpendicular to the rest of us so we could all see him and he could see us.

Everyone else, sans Howe, began to murmur worriedly among themselves.

"It's a pretty serious deal," I added, with a tone that may be a little more casual than advisable for the weight of the information I had to deliver. But there was reason for my confidence. I hoped it was good reason. "Akagi herself is flagging it, with her sister, Kaga, of course. We've also further confirmed the presence of destroyers Ayanami and Yukikaze, heavy cruiser Chikuma, light cruiser Jintsuu, and battleships Kii and Suruga. Are we all familiar with these names?"

They collectively nodded.

"Good, at least I'm the only one who had to catch up. Thanks, Max," I nodded to everyone else's chuckles.

"Either way, given information about the exact vector they'll be coming in from, I've consolidated a plan that should get us in and out as swiftly as possible," I reassured. "It will be divided into two main phases, in which there are a number of sub-phases. The first main phase is Extraction. This, of course, directly pertains to the rescue of Tirpitz. The second phase is our 'Exfiltration' of sorts. This pertains to us hightailing it right out as soon as Tirpitz is clear. Do we all follow?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Now, our Extraction phase will be relatively straightforward," I continued. "Once we reach the fjord we're entering through, we've got about an hour to extract Tirpitz before the Sakura arrive. So, not everyone will be going to the site of the wreck."

Everyone nodded, signaling that they were ready to start taking instructions. Howe, of course, had opted for her trusty notepad. She retains information better when writing it down.

I keyed the display to pull up the projected positionings. "U1206 will hold at the mouth of the fjord, serving as our Early Warning System for the Sakuras' arrival. Z23, Javelin, and Vampire will join her and stand ready. You three, understood?"

"Understood, sir!" "Aye." "Jawohl!"

"Charybdis will be behind them, deeper into the fjord by a few hundred metres for backup. Prinz Eugen will be ahead of her, acting as a shield."

Just then, I caught Eugen's smirk out of the corner of my eye. I thought she might have something to say but she merely nodded, allowing me to continue.

"Howe and I solely will be the ones to worry about extracting Tirpitz, me being the one who descends," I finished. Before anyone could protest about me descending, I added, "I'm the one heading down because I need everyone who'll be doing the shooting to be able to maintain communication. We also need to be able to get out quickly, so it makes more sense for you to stay on your ships while I get my hands dirty. Alright?"

One by one, they decided that that arrangement made the most sense, nodded, and let me continue.

"Alright," I nodded. "You'll all understand why the rest of the setup will be this way in just a second. Until then, do we have any questions?"

Howe stuck her pen between her lips for a second before raising her hand. "Sir?"

"Yes," I nodded at her.

"This setup assumes that the Sakura will be coming in from the same place we did. Do you know that for certain?" She tilted her head.

"I do, having drawn the conclusion from Maxwell's tracking data as mentioned earlier," I affirmed.

"Alright, thanks," she jotted it down.

"I've got a question," Maxwell piped up.

"Yes, Agent?" I prompted.

"That leaves a pretty big gap between you and the rest of them. What's your plan in case that gap becomes a problem," he asked.

"An excellent question," I replied. "This is why it's crucial that the extraction takes place within a thirty-minute span so that we have ample time to link up. If we're late, then the forces set up in the area should be able to hold out until we arrive, but it's much better if the margin between us regrouping and the Sakura making first contact is at least five minutes."

He nodded, "Tight margin, Captain."

"War is hardly that fair now, is it?" I replied.

"Touché," he conceded, leaving the floor open once more.

"Anything else?"

When they all remained silent for a handful of seconds, I decided that was my O.K to proceed.

"Great. Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what we're going to do about phase 2, the 'Exfiltration.' Combat is unavoidable, but if you follow this plan to the letter, I have no doubt we'll make it out," I said confidently.

Maxwell chuckled. "Listen up, folks. He's aboutta lay it down."

They all giggled at his side comment before quieting again and letting me speak.

"Thank you," I replied in stride. "Now, here's what we're going to do."

The plan I'd laid out would probably sound fairly convoluted to fresh ears, especially seeing as we hadn't even done a mock-execution of it or anything beforehand, but the visual representation we were getting via the display table in front of us would be ample. I became more and more convinced of that as my briefing went on, and as more details of the plan were laid out, the more incredulous everyone's faces became.

By the time I was done, Maxwell only had his eyebrows raised with what I could describe as a deadpanned shock. Everyone else seemed to have similar sentiments, no one uttering a word for a solid fifteen seconds after I finished speaking.

Finally, Maxwell hesitantly said, "This is insane."

Whilst everyone either looked at him with similarly confused looks, I only snickered and nodded in agreement. In most respects, the plan was insane. But it was the one that would work.

"Does…Do any of you really believe you can do what Captain Leighway expects you to do," he continued, addressing the force.

I looked at them with expectation on my face.

Z23 winced, "Well…it is certainly possible."

"I think it may be a little too exotic, even for my taste," Eugen remarked.

"I could do it," 1206 chimed in, starkly contrasting everyone's apprehension with her seemingly brash casual confidence. When everyone stared at her with surprise, she looked back at the rest of them and shrugged, appearing genuinely confused at their confusion. "What? He promised we'd be okay. If he thinks we can do it, then we can do it."

I nodded in approval of the U-boat, which made the girl grin brightly.

Before anyone else could object, Howe had her own thought to throw into the mix. "Plus, let's all remember how the captain handled our first combat encounter together as a team. That was even with him slowing it down to a level we could keep up with," she mentioned. "Perhaps the point is that if we go over this plan, study its minutiae to the finest detail, and picture the execution, it's the one that presents the biggest opportunity for us to get out with our lives."

"He is the strategist," Javelin added, the hesitation in her voice slowly fading.

"Exactly!" Howe encouraged, addressing all of them now. "And look, that Sakura force has, what, eight people? Two carriers, two battleships, a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, and two destroyers. We've got three destroyers, a battleship, a light cruiser with missiles, and another battleship who we don't even know if she'll be conscious when we pull her back out."

"That's another problem, actually," Maxwell chimed in. "Tirpitz's ship. What if that gets in the way?"

"It won't," Eugen said, perhaps a little too quickly.

Even I was taken aback slightly, Maxwell and I exchanging glances for a second before I prompted, "Sorry?"

Eugen raised her brows at me before waving it off. "Ah, apologies. Be rest assured, however, that it will not be a problem."

I looked at Maxwell again before we both presumably decided that that was an Ironblood tech matter. And if it's a tech matter in the hands of the Ironbloods, it would have a solution baked into it somewhere. "Alright. Howe, sorry. Go ahead, please."

"Right," she cleared her throat. "What I was getting at is, we're outnumbered, and quite possibly outgunned. So, unless any of us can come up with an idea that's more well-thought-out than Captain Leighway's, I suggest we trust our CO, get to grips with the plan, and finish this mission."

When she was done, the air had a waiting silence left hanging in it, everyone tossing and turning in their heads.

After a solid minute of self-reflection, Maxwell had decided on his end. "Well, nothing's really coming to me. Any of you guys got anything?"

They all looked at him before slowly shaking their heads.

He sighed briefly before nodding. "Leighway's plan it is. I'll relay it to our pilots and be ready to assist you. I guess I'll see about evacuating some of the surrounding vicinity if that's necessary, too. The timing has to be really tight here, but I think it's just barely within what we can do. Is that good enough for you, captain?"

"Is that as good as it's going to get?" I asked.

"Afraid so."

"Then it is," I replied simply.

"Cool," Maxwell nodded. "Safe travels to the rest of you. We've got a lot of cracking to do over here," he said before glancing around at his surroundings we couldn't see. "See you soon."

"Thank you, Maxwell," I replied politely.

"Thank you, sir," they all collectively bade.

He nodded before promptly closing the connection.

I returned the display table to its default home screen of showing the fleet's current whereabouts on the map, along with other useful meteorological data. As they visibly loosened up thanks to the end of the formal briefing, I asked, "So, how's everyone feeling?"

"I think it's safe to say nervous," Charybdis laughed, no doubt to shake some of those nerves off. "I'm so central to the plan, I'm getting anxiety just thinking about failing to perform when I'm needed."

I smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm sure you'll do your best. Was Howe able to help you any?"

Howe covered for Charybdis there. "Well, we ran through the system a few times and browsed the manuals for important info. She should know what she's looking at, and how to get the missiles where she wants them, but without real practice, it'll be tough to gauge where she's really at in terms of skill with it."

"Well, that's why you've got one 'warning' shot," I chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. "Just keep at it. I'm confident you'll be fine."

The maid seemed to take some consolation from that. "Thank you, sir," she replied.

I nodded before turning to everyone else. "How about you guys? Zed? Javelin? Vampire?"

"...I think we just need some prep time to get acquainted with the plan and each other, and we'll be able to do it," Zed replied after some thought. "What do you two think," she asked her two fellow destroyers.

"Yes, I think we can do it," Javelin replied. "Just, as Zed says, some prep time should cover it, captain."

"I wilt concur. 'Tis not beyond us, sir," Vampire added with a sprinkling of confidence, perhaps helped by the solidarity of having two sisters-in-arms with her.

"Glad to hear it, you guys," I grinned reassuringly. "With that being said, let's get some rest, get prepared, all that good stuff. I'll catch up with you all constituency-check-style to get a bearing on our statuses by tomorrow afternoon, latest. The morning after is the day of our arrival. Until then, you are all dismissed."

"Aye, captain!"


Later that afternoon, who else but Commander McConnell called once again for his own constituency check on how we were doing. "Hey, hey, Leighway! How's the world's best Captain," he asked in his usual chipper, go-with-the-flow energy.

A brief mental image of Charybdis's #1 Captain mug almost made me chuckle. "I don't know about being the world's best Captain, sir," I began, "but the mission is going about as well as it could. I've befriended my task force as you suggested. You were right, it was quite easygoing. And they're all very pleasant once you get through to them," I added.

"Ah! See," he nodded approvingly. "Edwards never lies! Treat 'em like you would anyone else. Too many people see them as these goddess-type folk. I guess if you count how good a lot of them look, you can see how that might happen," he joked, "but they are just like you and me at the end of the day. Each with their own little eccentricities and lessons to learn."

"Indeed," I agreed. "I also got to see what you meant firsthand by them being capable of things no ordinary ship could do."

"Ah, yes," he held a thumb up, "I saw that action report. Theodore forwarded it to me. Stunningly decisive stuff, man. I'd love to work with you someday."

Something about that rang like foreshadowing to me. "Thank you for the compliment, sir. I suppose I'm in this position for a reason," I chuckled.

McConnell grinned. "Now you're thinking like an Azur Lane officer."

"I suppose I am," I stroked my chin thoughtfully. This mission might end up changing me more than I've yet realized. "Also—," I paused before continuing. It only occurred to me now that McConnell may not have yet been informed about the Sakura task force we were expecting to encounter up there. Would the more appropriate course of action be to inform him duly myself right now, or wait and let Maxwell do the honors for me?

"Yeah?" McConnell asked.

"Yes, sir," I replied swiftly, deciding to take it in stride and use the safe way out. "Apologies, a message from my family just came in, and I wanted to read it."

"Oh," he nodded, "I see, I see. Alright. Well, let's get talking about the real elephant in the room here."

I gulped inwardly. "The…elephant in the room?" Does he pick up on stuff like that too? I wouldn't put it past him—

"Yeah! You know," he cocked his brows.

"…What exactly is this elephant I'm not seeing, sir," I asked, chuckling a little at my apparent inability to pick up what he was laying down.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "You and Howe, dude! You and Howe! How are things coming along with her, huh?"

"Oh," I laughed, understanding, and feeling just a little relieved. At least he either decided not to ask any more questions regarding that 'family message,' or he outright didn't realize something was going on. And if someone like him hadn't picked up on that, IRDI was damn good at keeping secrets. "Right. Well, what is there to say? We've grown close."

McConnell nodded, now leaned forward in his seat. "Yeah? Alright, what else?"

"Well," I hesitated uncertainly, feeling my cheeks heat up amid the cold Norwegian air surrounding me. "I'd been slogging a lot of very heavy mental baggage until recently. Work-related troubles that weeded themselves deep enough in me to become personal, too."

His face correspondingly grew more serious when he processed what I'd segued into.

"I just felt useless. Almost hopelessly impotent. But she helped me out at the right moment before I went and got myself indisposed just in time for the mission's main event," I joked wryly. "That's how we got close. I realized that I could give vent to my troubles with her, and she ended up sharing some things with me, too. It's been great, to have someone other than my brother to talk to. A whole new perspective, or a different type of initiative to take action, really does change a lot."

"Damn," he nodded slowly, leaning back in his seat. "That's awesome, Leighway. So things are going well for the two of you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Nice." His expression shifted to something more akin to what I'd see Prinz Eugen flash on occasion. "So, tell me. Does she make your heart jump sometimes?"

My mind immediately flashed back to that brief hug from behind she'd given me that one morning. I remembered the warmth, safety, and I daresay the love that I felt with her arms around me and her weight pressing soothingly against me. "Yeah," I answered honestly. "She does. I still think it's a pretty fat chance she sees me the same way, though."

"Oh, trust me," McConnell waved casually. "I've watched enough trashy romance movies to know where this is going." We both had a quick laugh at his joke before he continued, "But it is cool to see how easy it is for you to openly admit that. Monarch and I took three weeks before something finally happened," he chuckled.

"Well, to each their own, I suppose," I played along. "It's a case-by-case basis."

"Yeah, I guess it is!" He agreed, pointing at me while nodding. Just before I could say something, a voice from the background caused him to look up from the camera.

Suddenly, a woman appeared on the right side. Her face was cut off, only allowing me to see from the chest down, but I assumed that she would be Monarch. The uniform checks out if I remember it correctly. "Oy! You said you'd help me sweep today," she told McConnell, nudging him on the shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be right with you," he replied before gesturing to the camera. "Just gotta wrap this up."

"Oh. Alright," Monarch said.

As she made to leave, McConnell seemed to grin while biting his lip and suddenly grabbed her side playfully, causing her to yelp.

I barely managed to catch my snickering quick enough as Monarch turned around and proceeded to retaliate, targeting his side similarly.

He laughingly evaded, shielding his torso with his arms before she finally walked away and, presumably, out the room. As he recollected himself, he smoothed out his uniform and said, "Alright, sorry about that. I gotta go."

"Yes, I can tell," I joked, bringing him to chuckle. "I suppose we'll see each other around sometime?"

"Yeah, definitely," he smiled. "I'll be seeing you. Peace!"

"Goodbye, sir," I waved before he terminated the connection.

I slumped back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling. Before I knew it, a strangely giddy mood overtook me, and I started giggling uncontrollably. It got to the point where I had tears in my eyes from laughing.

Apparently, Howe had heard me because she rushed over and burst through the door. "James? James, what's happening?" Her tone held a mix of wanting to join in but also wondering if I'd finally gone mad. "Are you okay?"

I steadied myself just enough to look her in her eyes. Her face was inches away from me, with soft concern but also a hint of playfulness. "Nothing. I'm just…happy," I grinned.

"Oh. Okay," she smiled warmly. "Shall I go make us some soup? It's getting quite cold, even for me."

"That sounds lovely," I replied.

"Great. I'll be right back," she chirped.


After spending a pleasant half-hour or so chatting with James and having some hot bowls of soup, Howe received her own call from home. On the screen in front of her, her older sister, King George V, flickered into view and waved.

"Greetings!"

"Hello, sis," Howe grinned.

"Goodness, it's already been too long," the crimson-eyed battleship mused aloud. "I can't believe I only found the time to do this now. Though, I suppose helping Her Majesty coordinate everything happening with Bismarck was always going to be a challenge. Especially with the ah…shinies. Have you heard the news?"

Howe tilted her head curiously. "What news?"

"Ah," George shifted in her seat, "We've finished construction on a number of new people. Bellona, Revenge, Jervis, etcetera."

"Oh," Howe chirped. "That's exciting!"

"Well, if you think that's exciting, Illustrious finally gets to have Indomitable with her," George added, "and there's also Vanguard."

"Vanguard," Howe echoed, trying to place the name. It only took her a split second. "Oh, that Vanguard?"

"Mhm!" George hummed. "Big names are coming out over here. Apparently, Jervis is medically inclined, so she's joined up with Perseus. Fitting, considering the history," she chuckled, "and there are talks about sending Vanguard and Indomitable to the Azur Lane after a set time."

"Fascinating," Howe mused.

"Yep," George said before her expression grew into almost yearning. She sighed wistfully.

Howe, seeing that, got curious. "What's wrong?"

"Anson," George muttered.

"Hm?"

"Anson," she repeated a little clearer and with more conviction. "I wonder when we'll get to see her again."

"Oh, yes," Howe nodded.

HMS Anson. The last of the King George V-class yet to have new life breathed into her. Of course, having been launched months earlier in the world war, it wouldn't change the arrangement of Howe being, to quote James here, the 'baby of the family.'

Howe chuckled to herself. That arrangement was always quite confusing. For instance, was Monarch her bigger or little sister? When Anson is finally able to join them, will she be the little sister, even though she technically would be older going by the launch dates? Then again, Howe was laid down prior to Anson. So, going by those dates instead, wouldn't that make Howe the older sister?

Inwardly, the green-eyed girl digressed from her tangent. They would find out in time. "It would be nice to see her around soon," she finally mused.

"Indeed," George agreed. She let a brief silence linger in the air before deciding that was good a point as any to segue to a different topic. "Anyway! Enough about us over here. How are all of you holding up? Everything spiffy?"

Howe took the change of pace in stride. "Oh, yeah, absolutely! Everyone's really nice and accommodating. We picked up a U-boat that tried to ambush us on the way a few days ago. She's been tagging along," she chuckled. "And I think I've made a good number of acquaintances and friends while we're out here."

"Well, as many acquaintances and friends as you can make with the limited time you have," George pointed out. "You've only been out there for, what, six, seven days? It's good to hear, then, that you're all getting along. And I'm sorry, but did I hear that a U-boat tried to ambush you?" Her expression abruptly darkened, some dry humor in the sudden change of the pace.

"Yes, yes, but don't worry! We were able to handle her, and no one was hurt in the process," Howe frantically reassured her sister. "Our captain is apparently a bit of a whiz when it comes to strategy."

Though George loosened up slightly, it was clear she still had her apprehensions. "Interesting. How did you deal with it?"

"Well," Howe said, trying to recall the details of the log report so she could do James justice. "He started by trying to establish communications with the boat so that no one should have to start shooting in the first place, as you would," she began, "but unfortunately, they weren't picking up. He used that to his advantage, though, surmising that the boat thought Prinz Eugen and Z23 were captives. He used Z23's transmission line to track the boat, cross-referencing with Javelin's sonar so that they could accurately target the depth charges. Then—," Howe soon realized the scrim was too multifaceted to relay in spoken story.

"Actually, you should just read the report," Howe giggled. "The point is, it worked great, and James was able to usher the U-boat nicely into the squad."

As soon as Howe finished speaking, George was smirking like a cat that got to the canary. "Well, that does sound rightly fascinating. Perhaps I shall read the report! But who's James?"

Howe's eyes widened momentarily when she realized where she'd slipped. "Um! He's…the…" When the realization she'd backed herself into a corner hit her, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she relented. "He's our CO."

"Right," George said, smelling a delectable opportunity afoot. "And you two are now on a first-name basis?"

"…Yes." Howe felt her cheeks warm against the cool air.

After a pregnant silence floated menacingly, George leaned closer to the camera as if to keep the exchange covert from anyone who might be listening in. "You like him, don't you?"

Howe caught her breath and let her sister's sentence simmer in her brain. As much of a revelation it felt to admit that to herself, she was never one to be indirect about anything. She might sugarcoat if someone asked for it but beating around the bush wasn't exactly her. So, with a rosy blush and a cutely hesitant voice, she replied, "Yes."

George started laughing heartily on the other end. "Goodness, what is happening? First, Monarch. Now, you! Not to say that's a bad thing, I wholly support both of you as your elder sister."

Howe could only chuckle it off and shake her head softly, palming her forehead. "How could you tell? I only slipped once!"

"Oh, dearest," George said, "I'm your sister. I know you! Anyway, I've never met this mysterious James, but perhaps when you return, introductions are in order," she winked.

"I suppose that is a fun idea, yes," Howe laughed.

"Perfect," George chuckled while looking at her timepiece. "Anyhow, I'm afraid I've still got some things to attend to. I shall reach out to you again if I should find the opportunity to do so. Keep yourself safe, Howe. And you let me know if James tries anything funny. I'll show him a thing or two."

Howe blushed once again and laughingly waved it off. "Don't worry, he's really sweet. He couldn't hurt a fly."

"If you say so," George smirked. "I bid you adieu!"

"Goodbye, sis!" Howe chittered.

And then the connection cut, leaving her alone in the quiet communications room with solely her thoughts to keep her company. You like him, don't you?

Howe mentally took a step back and viewed their relationship in scope as far as her own limited first-person perspective would let her. She'd met James about a week ago, and it started like any other casual work relationship. At least, any other casual work relationship she'd had experience with. Then she found him slumped at his desk, having pulled an all-nighter and looking like he'd seen far better days.

Perhaps that was the turning point where they went from casual-professional to close-personal, Howe surmised. But that still didn't give her grounds for…falling for him. Did it? Yes, he was nice, and quite funny when he was feeling the mood—no, feeling more like himself. He was also charming in his own way, clearly very sharp with his wit, and he knew his way around when it came to 'housework.' Never mind his wonderfully blue eyes, messy black hair, or generally well-kept physique. And—

Howe mentally snagged herself before her mind could drone on, her cheeks simmering, and her heart fluttering. That happened fast.

No, she affirmed herself. You like him, fine. But this is just…attraction! A passing crush that'll go away eventually.

Yet, even as she'd resolved herself in that thought, a nagging notion at the back of her mind tugged further beyond attraction. A place that Howe didn't feel she was quite ready to process yet.


A/N: Yes, unsigned guest (if you're still here), I heard you with Anson! Thanks to the rest of you for sticking around, reading, and for the wonderful comments. Thank you as well to the ones who gave their well-wishes for my graduation. 'Till next time!

Cheers, Jarvis.